My sore throat
by laughannie711
Summary: I'm not very good at summaries, so I’ll make it short. Lee X Sakura fluff! Lee has a sore throat and finds that he needs a tonsillectomy. Some Neji X Tenten and Naruto X Hinata, possibly others…
1. Chapter 1

ME: uhm…yo no… umm…how do you say 'own' in Spanish again

**ME: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ;-**

**-And yes, I am aware that some of them are a little ooc, but it isn't **_**that**_** bad, so please try to tolerate it as long as possible…** **Thank you!**

1

"Lee! My number one student! You have not said a word since you've gotten here!" said Gai. Lee smiled sadly and shook his head in hopes to dismiss the subject.

"Yeah Lee, it's not like you to be this quiet, unless…" Murmured Tenten, circling him like a hawk. Lee stood completely still, staring straight ahead. He was getting quite nervous with where the situation was heading.

"Unless you have another soar throat." She said accusingly, poking a finger against his chest. Lee hung his head. He was caught.

"Lee." sighed Neji. "That's the third one this month."

"You promised us that you would go to the hospital if you got another one! We have to make sure that nothing is wrong." Said Gai. "I would hate it if something were to happen to my beloved pupil."

"Yes sir." He mumbled. His voice was gravely, and it was obvious that it pained him to speak.

"Lee, you sound awful. Aren't you the least bit worried that something might be wrong?" asked Tenten. It was a mystery to her why he wouldn't just willingly get a check up. It seemed that he would always try to avoid the hospital somehow. Though, he often ended up there in the end anyway. It was usually a result of training or sparring.

"I hate hospitals." Lee managed to mumble. He winced afterwards, and sighed.

"Hn. Come on, I'll take you there." Neji said, beginning to walk, assuming Lee would follow. When he didn't hear footsteps, he turned around to see that Lee was standing in the same place. Neji sent him an irritated glare, and Lee reluctantly started to trudge after him.

"Get better soon, Lee!" shouted Tenten as her two teammates disappeared into the distance.

They walked silently for the most part. Neji wasn't much of a talker, and Lee _couldn't_ talk. But even so, Neji couldn't help but be curious. "Why do you hate hospitals so much?" he finally asked. Lee frowned.

"I just…I do not like getting bad news." Said Lee. It still hurt to speak, but he would answer, nonetheless. Neji suddenly understood. So, it was a phobia of sorts. Though, it did seem a little uncharacteristic of his teammate to think so negatively of something, usually being one that usually finds the good quality in every situation.

"Is that why you always try avoiding your check-ups?" asked Neji. Lee nodded and looked down in disgrace.

"Please do not tell anyone." Said Lee. Neji stared at him in question. Had he not told anyone of this before? He gave Lee a nod in silent agreement.

"You know, without hospitals, you probably wouldn't be alive right now." Reasoned Neji. Lee looked away, avoiding eye contact rather than accept the truth in his words. They continued walking in silence.

"We're here." Said Neji. When he didn't hear any response, he turned around to find that Lee had taken off. A large cloud of dust trailed behind him as he ran. He sighed and chased after him. It took him fifteen minutes to catch up, but it was only because Lee had run straight into a dead end. He tried to escape up the wall, but Neji was able to snag his collar just in time. Lee emanated a painful 'Ekkk!' sound as Neji dragged him to the floor by his neckline. Lee wanted to protest, but found that it was useless. His voice was just not cooperating with him at the moment. Neji held him down for a while as he caught his breath.

"No use running, Lee." Said Neji, as he re-filled his lungs with much needed oxygen. "I'm doing this for your own good."

Truth was, Neji actually _cared_ about his teammate. Lee may be a bit eccentric at times, and they may be rivals, but they were also friends. Possibly even best friends. Neither had ever said it, but it was an implicit fact. And so, he literally dragged Lee all the way back to the hospital. Lee would occasionally release a groan every now and then as he went over rocks or small mounds of dirt, but Neji would always ignore it.

Pedestrians looked on in enjoyment. Crazy ninja. They were always doing something interesting.

"Here we are…again." Grunted Neji. Lee instinctively dug his nails into the dirt as Neji continued to drag him forward. He had to tug a bit harder thanks to the extra resistance, but otherwise, it changed nothing. He effortlessly pushed the doors to the hospital open with his right hand, still dragging Lee on the floor with his left. Neji stopped short, and nearly fell backwards when Lee latched his legs around the handle of the door. He growled under his breath, and pulled on his collar again in annoyance.

"Lee, let go."

"No!" screamed Lee, wrapping his legs onto the handle a bit tighter. Neji grabbed Lee's arms, and tried again, with no success. The occupants of the waiting room stared as if they were watching a show.

"Lee. Let go!" Neji growled through his teeth, as he continued to pull.

"NO!" Lee protested again. He grunted from the pain in his throat. The hinges on the door began to creek against the pressure. None of the nurses dared impede in fear of receiving a blow from one of the jounin for catching them off guard.

All except for one.

"Neji!? Lee!? What the heck are you two doing!? You're going to break down the door!"

Lee gasped, and nearly lost his footing, but quickly regained his composer. Neji almost dropped Lee, which would have resulted in his teammate landing headfirst onto the tiled floor below. Fortunately, he didn't.

"What is going on?" asked Sakura, placing her hands on her hips, as if daring them not to answer.

"Lee has a sore throat and needs an examination, but he's refusing to get one." Said Neji, once again, trying to pry his teammate off of the door. Lee looked over his shoulder and glared at him.

'Tattle tale!'

Sakura glanced between the two men and sighed.

"Lee, if you get down from there, I'll give you the check up personally." Said Sakura sweetly, trying her best to be persuasive. Luckily for her, he obliged almost immediately. How could he possibly resist!?

Unfortunately, at that moment, Neji was still pulling. They both flew back a few feet. Neji landed first, and Lee ended up falling directly on his stomach.

"Lee." He breathed. That impact had knocked the wind out of him. Lee scrambled to his feet, and reached down to pull Neji up.

"I am so sorry!" said Lee. His voice still sounded hoarse. Neji growled, and dusted himself off. He mumbled a small acceptance of Lee's apology. Meanwhile, Sakura was watching them with a grin. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. It wasn't working well. Neji and Lee looked at her. A wide, almost goofy looking, love-struck grin spread across Lee's face. His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. Her laughter was music to his ears. Even if she _was_ laughing at him. Neji grimaced in embarrassment.

"I trust you'll be alright now. I'm going back to train." Grumbled Neji. Lee's eyes widened and his head shot in Neji's direction, as if begging him to stay.

"Sakura is a good doctor, and she will take excellent care of you," whispered Neji, so that Sakura wouldn't hear. Lee stared at him, and thought about that for a moment. He had the utmost faith in Sakura's ability as a medic ninja; it was the hospital that he didn't trust. Even so, he nodded, silently granting Neji permission to leave. He placed a hand on Lee's shoulder, and turned back to Sakura.

"Thank you for your help." He said politely. Sakura nodded in a professional manner, as she and Lee watched him go. She turned back to face Lee and smiled.

"Ready?" she asked. He nodded slowly and drew in a deep breath. It stung his the back of his throat, causing him to grimace.

"I suggest you don't do that." Said Sakura with a giggle. Lee blushed again and smiled.

"All right, follow me and I'll take a look at your throat, okay?" said Sakura. Lee nodded again and followed her down the hallway. His gaze drifted back and fourth from wall to wall. It seemed so lifeless in this place. The colors were dull and monotonous. The sounds of moaning from behind one of the doors made him scowl. He would probably never understand how Sakura was able to stay in this place for such a long time. He turned his head when he noticed that she was opening the door to one of the rooms.

"Take a seat right over there, and I'll be with you in a second." Lee nodded and did as he was told. Sakura slowly walked from the room, taking a quick glance back at Lee. She smiled when she saw that he was balling the fabric of his jumpsuit between his fingers. It was a nervous habit of his. One that she had noticed countless times before. He would often do it when asking her on a date. She never said anything of course, but it was a silent reminder of how much she loved him.

Yes, she did indeed care for Konoha's beautiful green beast, but had never told him so. She was having way too much fun watching him try to win her affections again and again. Cruel, yes, but it was also unbelievably amusing.

She informed Ino of her developing feelings towards Lee during her eighteenth birthday a few months earlier. The blonde was shocked to say the least, yet genuinely happy for her. They shared a laugh after deciding that she wouldn't tell him for a while. But she would put him out of that desolation eventually.

Meanwhile, Lee was sitting quite uncomfortably atop the doctor's chair. The paper beneath him wrinkled every time he tried to shift positions. The sound of it seemed to echo off the walls, ringing deafeningly in his ears. He breathed deeply through his nose and released it. The walls were, as usual, completely white. The bland coloring and luminescent lighting did nothing if not make the situation worse. But then again, he was used to it. The first time he had been to the hospital, he was very young. The smell of disinfectant and dried blood had brought tears to his eyes. Luckily, over the many visits he spent here, he had learned to deal with it. His head shot up at the sound of footsteps. Quickly, he released his grip on his shirt, and tried to look natural. Sakura hid her smirk behind the clipboard in her hands. Lee really was cute.

"Okay Lee. You're not declaring your love for me, so you must be in some serious pain." Said Sakura playfully. Lee returned her smile.

"I do love you," he said, as if she might have forgotten. Sakura eyed him. His voice sounded raspy, and she almost felt guilty for making him speak like that. Lee noticed her stare, and immediately felt the need to cheer her up. He flashed the nice guy pose, complete with thumbs-up, and that 'oh-so-youthful' preverbal 'ping'. It worked; she smiled.

"Right." Said Sakura. She walked to his side, and pulled a tongue depressor out of a jar. From the pocket of her white coat, she grabbed a small flashlight with her other hand. "Open wide and say 'ahh'." Lee slunk back and shook his head. Sakura smiled. "Aw, come on now, Lee." She said in good-humored tone. "If you're a good boy, I'll give you a lollypop." He chuckled and sent her a nod in acceptance, even though he still did not want to. Opening his mouth wide, he allowed her to place the wooden stick on his tongue. It tasted funny; like licking a training post. She shined the light in, and took a good look.

"Well, I have good news, and bad news." Said Sakura, clicking the light off with her thumb, and shoving it back into her pocket. Lee closed his mouth and waited for her to tell him. "The bad news is: we have to remove your tonsils." Lee's eyes widened in a mixture of frustration and fear. Why was it that every time he came here, they found something wrong? "The good news is, it's a very routine procedure, and you'll be better in no time." Said Sakura, attempting to lighten the mood. Lee sighed. She frowned at his glum appearance. "But on the bright side, you can have the lollypop!" At this, Lee allowed his eyes to drift up, leaving his head down. Sakura watched as a small smile graced his lips.

"Can I have the green one?"

She laughed.

"Of course." She said, handing him a small green lollypop from the jar on the counter. Lee's smile widened, and he once again looked like his normal optimistic self.

"Now, I'm going to heal you as best as I can, that way it won't hurt as much before the surgery." Lee nodded, and allowed her to place her hand gently over his neck. A subtle green glow enveloped her palm, and Lee already felt better. He could easily envision a fresh stream of water slowly soothing and cooling his soar throat.

She leaned in close, seeming innocent. Since he was sitting down, her face was just above his own, and now only mere centimeters apart.

He couldn't help but stare at her lips. Why was she tempting him!? It seems that she had been doing things like this more and more often lately. But she couldn't be doing it on purpose, right? He gulped, and attempted to force down the blush that was inadvertently spreading across his entire face. Sakura smiled wickedly and removed her hand, getting the reaction she had hoped for.

"There. That should feel better. And don't worry. I'll be taking care of you for your entire stay here. I'll be back to check on you in a little bit, right after I get you checked into one of the rooms." Lee smiled with half-lidded eyes.

"Thank you, Sakura." He said, still trying to will down his blush. Sakura grinned and turned to walk out of the room, swaying her hips seductively as she neared the doorway. She smirked after hearing Lee make a pathetic sound, and scramble about for a tissue. Gently, she shut the door behind her, leaving Lee by himself.

'_I wonder if she is aware of how much she tortures me.'_ Thought Lee, trying to stop his nose from bleeding. He was in desperate need of a cold shower, but he would not be getting one now. Poor Lee.

'_I should probably stop torturing him so much. I might end up killing him'_ Thought Sakura. After a few minutes, she returned. _' My conscious seems to be catching up with me._

"I'm back." Chimed Sakura, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. Lee gasped and tried to hide the bloody tissues behind his back. "I got you a room upstairs; you're going to have to- Oh! Lee, what happened?" She knew full well what happened, but decided to play innocent. Lee blushed.

"Um…nothing." He said. Sakura willed back a laugh. Lee was a really bad liar. She would humor him for now.

"If you say so. Now what was I doing? Oh right! You're going to have to change into a hospital gown." Said Sakura. He sighed in annoyance. He really hated hospital gowns. Since there was no back, he always felt like he had to hold it closed, even if he _was_ wearing boxers. He silently cursed himself for choosing today to wear the ones with hearts on them. Curse Tenten and her random shopping sprees!

"Well don't just stand there! Get changed!" said Sakura, snapping Lee out of his thoughts.

"Now?" he asked.

"Yes, now." Answered Sakura matter-of-factly.

"B-but!"

"That's right. Get your _butt_ into that gown. Now." She pointed to the hospital attire. Lee sighed and slowly began to slip off his vest and shoes. Next, he removed his leg warmers, and unhooked the weights from around his ankles, placing them gently on the floor by his side. He unzipped his jumpsuit, and carefully stepped out, one leg at a time. Now it was Sakura's turn to blush.

'_He's not just cute! He's hott!'_ shouted Inner Sakura. She was inwardly hoping that she wouldn't start to drool. She slowly allowed her eyes to drift over every part of him, coming to a stop just as she reached his boxers. A small smile made its way onto her lips. Were those little pink hearts?

Lee was feeling more than uncomfortable right now. He really wished she wouldn't stare at him like that.

"Um…Sakura?" he said, after several minutes. She blinked, and blushed for her actions.

"Oh! Right…sorry." She said sheepishly, handing him the gown. He graciously accepted it and slipped it on.

"Thank you," he said with a toothy smile that Sakura had come to love.

"No problem." Said Sakura. "Follow me, okay?" Lee nodded and picked up his belongings, following her close behind. Silently, they walked together up a flight of stairs. Lee tried to hold his gown shut, but as his thoughts drifted off, he absentmindedly allowed it to open. One of the patients released a whistle at the sight. Lee blushed and once again, pulled it shut.

When Lee wasn't looking, Sakura sent the woman a glare. The startled girl immediately scrambled away in fear of Sakura's wrath. She smirked in success.

Even if it wasn't official, she liked to think of Lee as _her_ man. He had truly matured over the years. In her opinion, though he still wore his green spandex, still kept his bowl haircut and bushy eyebrows, he had grown into a very handsome adult. However, when she discussed it with her ex-rival, Ino seemed to completely disagree. In her blonde friends own words, 'You must be seriously in love with him if you think _Bushy Brows_ is handsome!' Sakura giggled at the thought, arising a questioning look from Lee.

"What is so funny?" he inquired. Sakura gasped lightly, and continued walking straight ahead.

"Erm…Nothing, Lee. Nothing at all." She said, not looking back. Lee raised an eyebrow, but decided not to pressure her for an answer. Besides, he could never force her to do anything. Sigh.

"And here's your room." Said Sakura, gently opening the door. Lee stepped in behind her and frowned. This room looked exactly like the one that he stayed in after the chuunin exams. Oh well. At least it has a window.

"You can lie down and get comfortable. In a few hours, you'll get your tonsillectomy, and you'll be able to leave in about two days." Said Sakura. Lee choked on air.

"Two days!? But what about my training!?" asked Lee. He winced after speaking and brought his hand to his neck. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Get into bed, Lee." She said sternly. Lee sighed, yet again, and silently did as he was told. "You really shouldn't speak too much. It puts a lot of strain on your throat." Once again, she placed her hand over his neck, minus the seductive advances. Lee smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Sakura. Your amazing talent is rivaled only by your extraordinary beauty." Said Lee. Sakura blushed and tried to turn away.

"Um…yes, well. I have other patients to tend to right now. I'll come back and check on you in a little bit. In the mean time, _no_ _training_." She said the last two words with as much emphasis as she could muster. About every time Lee came to the hospital, he was caught doing some sort of exercise, despite all warnings to avoid it. If only they had 'AA' meetings for 'train-a-holics'.

Lee sighed and grudgingly agreed with her terms. Though he didn't make any promises. Sakura gave him one last nod before finally leaving the room.

'I really shouldn't do this to him anymore. I'm starting to feel really guilty. I'll let him know today.' Thought Sakura.

'But the question is: how?'

**ME: So that was the first chapter. **

**Uhm…yup. Hopefully it'll get better as it goes. **

_**Anyhooo, please review, and thank you for your time. **_**n.n**


	2. Chapter 2

2

2

For the rest of the day, her head was in the clouds. Silently, she contemplated a way to finally tell him the truth. It was beginning to affect her work. Several different doctors, and even one of her patients, asked if she was feeling ill.

Still, she was unable to come up with the right way to tell him. You would think that she would have thought this through by now, having known about her feelings for several months. But nope!

By the time she remembered that she had to prep Lee for the surgery, the sun had just begun to set. A quick glance out the lobby window, seeing the sky quickly turning dark blue, and the light fading fast, she took off. She ran the entire way to his room, stopping only momentarily to catch her breath. It didn't take long. She knocked, and went right in, not even bothering to listen for a response.

"Lee?" she asked. Lee sat up in bed and smiled. He had been so severely bored while she was gone. Never before had he been so incredibly tempted to train.

Well okay, maybe a few times before, but the point is: he was bored.

"Hello Sakura!" he said cheerily. He spoke much quieter than usual, but with twice the enthusiasm to make up for it. She gave him a small smile, but didn't answer, looking down and at the chart in her arms. Any words that had been scribbled onto that paper only served as a temporary distraction. Her tired eyes drifted over the letters, but she wasn't really reading them. Lee noticed her struggle to concentrate, and knitted his brow together in worry. "What is the matter?" She blinked, and looked up from her chart with a frown.

"Hm? Oh nothing, really. I've just have a lot on my mind today." She said.

"Would you like to talk about it? I might be able to help." He suggested. She stared at him for some time, seeing nothing but serious compassion. There was a long silence, as she contemplated her answer. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she walked toward him, and took a seat on the end of his bed.

"Okay. I sort of…like someone. A lot actually. And I'm not so sure how to tell him." She said truthfully. Had she been looking at him, she would have noticed how his facial features dropped almost immediately.

"Oh." Said Lee plainly. "Well um…First of all, is he a good person?" Sakura smiled, still not looking up to meet his eyes.

"Yes he is. Probably one of the most amazing guys I've ever met."

If possible, Lee's shoulders slumped even lower. "That is…good… Maybe you could just tell him." His words held a touch of hurt, though he hid it well. "Otherwise he will never know what he is missing. Whoever he is, he is very lucky." Without looking up, she nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. There was a short moment of stillness, neither of them attempting to interrupt the quiet.

"Thank you. I'll…consider that." She said, standing up. "Now. Back to business. I'm going to ask you a few routine questions. I already know the answers to some of these, but I have to ask them anyway, so just try to put up with it." Said Sakura. Lee nodded. "Okay, first question: Why are you here?"

"For a tonsillectomy."

"What's your blood type?"

"A-positive."

"When have you last eaten?"

"Yesterday night."

"When's the last time you've had something to drink?"

"About three hours ago."

She faltered, noticing that with every answer, he sounded completely heartbroken. She tried to keep busy, grabbing a bag of liquid from one of the cabinets, and hooking it onto a metal pole. Lee held out his arm, already knowing what it was for. "It's a good thing you decided to skip breakfast this morning." She said, while inserting the end into his vein. He lowered his arm, and kept his eyes downcast.

"Well it kind of hurts to eat, so I did not have much of a choice." He said with a sad smile. She nodded, and stared at him for a while in silence. She took a deep breath, preparing to tell him the truth.

"Lee-"

At that moment, the door swung open again, revealing one of the hospitals surgeons. Sakura sighed. Things were just not going well. He walked up to the two of them with a grin.

"Hello. I will be your surgeon. I assume you have already prepped him."

"I have." She answered proficiently.

"Great. May I see his chart?" She handed it to him, watching Lee's eyes already began to drift shut as a result of the sedative.

'I promise, Lee…I'll tell you when you wake up.'

/-./.-/

An hour and a half later, Lee was taken out of the operating room. Sakura stood by his bed, watching him sleep. A different surgeon from before approached her. "You're his doctor, correct?" She nodded, rather curious as to why he seemed so intense. "There was a small complication during the surgery."

"You made a mistake!? How could you possibly mess up such a routine procedure!?" shouted Sakura. Normally she wouldn't react so dramatically. But this was Lee they were talking about. He held up his hands protectively, trying to repress the urge to run away.

"It was a very rare mix up. It's not severe, but it's definitely going to take some healing. When he wakes up, he's not going to be able to speak for at least another day. We're going to have to keep him here for a week so that we can keep an eye on his progress." Said the surgeon, taking a small step backwards in his own defense. The look she was giving him could have easily sent any man to his knees, though he did a pretty good job about standing his ground. He, being a Konoha medic, had faced hundreds of disgruntled ninja before. But even with his experience, she was scary.

Sakura was struggling to remain professional. She wanted nothing more than to knock this man unconscious, but such actions would not bode well for her position. Tsunade-sama did not tolerate that sort of behavior, even though she often exhibited it herself. Sakura clenched her fists, and nodded, dismissing the man from her view.

She was not looking forward to giving Lee the news. And there was no way that she would be able to keep him from training for so long.

With nothing more said, the man took his leave. Very quickly.

Having just ended her shift, Sakura opted to follow the nurse that was currently wheeling Lee's bed back to his room, and watched her walk away without a word. Tonight, she would stay by his side.

He had never broken a promise to her, and she wasn't about to do that to him. She would make sure to hold true to her words, even if they had never actually been spoken aloud. When he wakes up, she would admit her feelings.

She pulled one of the chairs up beside the bed, and sat down, attempting to gain a comfortable position. The moonlight shone dully through the window, gently caressing Lee's features, making him seem much paler than he usually was.

Confident that he wouldn't wake up for a while, she cautiously reached forward and pushed his bangs to the side, and out of his eyes. His hair felt much silkier than it looked. She smiled, and turned around to pull an extra pillow out from the closet, placing it just against the armrest.

Her eyes were glued to his chest, watching as it rose and feel beneath the covers. His breathing served as a subtle lullaby, calming her enough to slip into a dreamless, slightly uncomfortable sleep.

/-./.-/

A few hours past, and Lee began to stir from his rest. The narcotic had just begun to ware off, but he was still feeling extremely exhausted. Forcing his eyes open as much as possible, he was surprised to find that Sakura was asleep just a few feet away. Being too weary to react, he could only stare.

For the next several minutes, he watched her, his mind still a bit too numb to actually think coherently. But one thing was absolutely certain.

She was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.

Still only half conscious of his own actions, he flipped over so that he was lying on his stomach, and reached out his right arm, lightly brushing his fingers over her cheek. She flinched at his touch, and repositioned herself in the chair.

He smiled sadly, distantly remembering that she would never be his. But he couldn't help but wonder why she was there.

His arm dropped, and hung idly over the bedside, leaving his face almost completely smothered in the pillow. It was a peculiar position, but oddly comfortable. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed, unable to stay awake any longer.

ME: Sorry if that was really short and sort of pointless…

**The next one will probably be longer. (If only just a little) and (with any luck) it might just add a little excitement…. Or at least a lot of fluff.**


	3. Chapter 3

3

3

As dawn approached, the sun quietly peeked over the horizon, lighting the hospital room so generously with its presence. A few small streaks of sunshine strewn randomly over the windowpane, incongruously, leading one such stream directly over Sakura's tired eyes. In her half-sleep-dazed state, she squeezed her eyelids shut in an attempt to block out the rays. With no such luck, she blinked awake. Taking a quick survey of her surroundings, she instantly remembered where she was. She stretched, hearing a few snaps and cracks from various joints. Her sights then glided down to Lee, allowing a small smile to grace her pale lips.

From the position on his stomach, each of his limbs stayed tangled within the covers, save for his right arm, which continued to dangle off the edge of the bed. His face was half-buried in his pillowcase; just enough for her to see a single closed eye, and his partly opened lips. A normally perfectly wrought patch of black hair was scattered in every direction. It was endearing, to say the least. She couldn't help but giggle. The sudden noise seemed out of place in the otherwise soundless room, and it startled her a little. Lee's eyes drifted open, and she fell silent. He inhaled deeply, temporarily closing his eyes again. Flipping onto his back and lifting his arm, he allowed it to rise beside the other one just above his head, stretching them to their full extent.

Sakura was a tad disappointed that she wouldn't be able to watch him sleep anymore, and felt guilty for waking him. Lee sat up and rubbed his eyes with his fists, almost childishly. His hair was in complete disarray. But then again, she figured that she must look about the same at the moment. She smiled at the sight, but said nothing. He allowed his eyes to glide open, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he finally noticed Sakura staring at him. He had almost completely forgotten she was there. Once he came to his senses, he smiled and opened his mouth to greet her.

But what he found caused his smile to vanish. He couldn't speak at all. He knew he would be sore after the surgery, but he had no idea that he would totally lose his voice. He bent over to his left, reaching onto the nightstand, trying to find any source of water.

Sakura stood from the chair and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her touch caused him to freeze for a moment, just before he sat straight again, in order to give her his full attention. The sympathetic expression on her face told him that something wasn't quite right. She sat down on the bed, and he shifted to the side so there would be enough room for her to be comfortable.

"Lee, there's something I have to tell you. Now it's nothing major, so I don't want you to worry." She started. He studied her expression, and opened his mouth in a second attempt to speak. This time, the only sound he was able to make was a dismal squeak. His eyes widened, and his hands shot up to clutch at his throat. He looked up when he heard Sakura sigh. With eyes still widened, his hands still positioned around his neck, and his lips slightly parted in shock, he stared at her.

"Nothing is seriously wrong, but there was a small problem during surgery. You're going to have to stay here for the next seven days so we can make sure your voice comes back without any problems." She said that a bit faster than she should have, but she wasn't very sure about how he was going to react and his expression was making her nervous. For a moment, nothing happened. He lowered his arms slowly, not averting his forward gaze on Sakura's face. She raised an eyebrow. He was taking this much better than she was expecting.

Suddenly, he threw up his arms and began flailing them around melodramatically. He was mouthing something, looking completely hysterical. She was startled by his sudden reaction, and bent back a bit so she wouldn't get hit. Regaining her composer, she tried to read his lips, hoping to get an idea about what he was trying to say. Even though there was no actual sound coming out, she already had a vague idea, and as soon as she noticed the word 'train' form several times, her thoughts were immediately confirmed.

"Lee, settle down." She said. He stopped, and allowed his arms to flop lifelessly onto the disheveled sheets of the bed, creating a 'flump' sound. "You aren't supposed to train for the remainder of your stay here. But I know you, and I am well aware that I can't stop you from doing so. However, it wouldn't be very professional of me to grant you permission to overexert yourself during recovery." She paused, as if deciding on a solution. "So, I'm going to make you a proposition." He nodded dumbly, waiting for her to continue. "I'll find a way to convince the staff that I'm just taking you out for some fresh air each day, and we can go to the training grounds." He grinned, seeming to brighten a great deal at the suggestion.

'_Sakura is going to let me train!'_ he thought lightheartedly.

"But of course, there will be a few rules." She said, halting his imaginary happy dance. "For example, you will not be doing anything too extreme. There will be _no_ running laps. I realize that your throat may be the only thing that hurts right now, but that's not the point. I have to be able to keep an eye on you, and I can't really do that if you're running around too much. And when I say it's time to stop, it's time to stop, no exceptions, no complaints." Not that he would be able to complain anyway. He frowned and released a sigh.

'She has just eliminated a very large portion of my usual training schedule. But then again, I am lucky to be able to train at all. And besides, this way I can spend more time with my beloved Sakura blossom!' he smiled, almost triumphantly.

Sakura was watching curiously as he went through a wide array of different expressions.

'Wait, I nearly forgot! She said something about liking someone.' His smile immediately disappeared, and he looked on the verge of tears. Sakura raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

'I wonder who it is. I really hope she has not fallen for another jerk like Sasuke. She deserves so much more. He better not hurt her.' His face contorted into scowl, as if he were incredibly angry about something. Sakura blinked. She was almost afraid that he was mad at her.

'I know! I will have a little talk with this person, and personally make sure he does not hurt her!'

Okay, now he was starting to scare her. He has this weird, almost evil looking smile on his face. "Um…Lee?" With that, he snapped back to reality. He must have been thinking for some time, because she seemed a little freaked out. He smiled nervously, and brought his hand to the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. She smiled, knowing that he was back to normal.

"Right." Said Sakura. She stood up and walked to the other side of the room, lifting a small pad of paper, and a pen. Lee followed her with his eyes, as she came back and took her seat back on the side of his bed. She dropped the pad onto his lap, and slipped the pen into his hand, causing him to raise an eyebrow. As if reading his mind, she laughed at his confusion. "It's in case you want to say something. Since you aren't going to be able to talk for a while." She said. Instantaneously, he began to scribble against the paper. Sakura read the words as he wrote each one.

How long is a while?

"You'll probably be able to speak again by tomorrow, but it may be difficult at first." She answered. He nodded, and looked down again, continuing to scribble against the note pad.

"Is there anything to eat?" She read aloud. He put a hand over his stomach as it emitted a loud growl. She giggled.

"Your throat is going to be particularly sore right now, so the only thing you'll be able to eat, without a substantial amount of pain, is ice cream." Said Sakura. He looked at her questioningly.

I have never eaten that before he wrote. Sakura raised an eyebrow and gasped playfully. "You've never eaten ice cream before?!" He shook his head. "Well I'm going to have to bring you some so you can try it, huh? I'll be right back." He watched as she left the room, and contemplated what it might taste like. All his life, he had never tried the frozen treat. It was not something that was sold often in their town.

A few minutes later, she re-entered, carrying with her a metal bowl. She took her seat on the bed, and leaned over to pull a small tray out from one of the draws on the nightstand. She placed it on the bed between them, and set the bowl on top. Lee stared at it.

"I got you three different ones to start with. There are many others, but I figured that you should try the three main flavors first." She said, looking down into the bowl. "There's vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry." She said, pointing to each one as she spoke. Lee nodded and slowly reached down to grasp the spoon. He lifted a small bit of chocolate ice cream to eyelevel and studied it. Finally, he put it into his mouth. His eyes lit up instantly, and they both smiled. The slight pain that it caused when it slid down his throat was forgotten in anticipation of his next bite. So, he tried the vanilla. It was even better than the chocolate. And last but not least, the strawberry. She had never seen him smile so widely. "I guess you like strawberry best, huh?" She said with a grin. Instead of responding, he continued to shovel spoonfuls of ice cream into his mouth.

Sakura giggled, as she watching him devour his incredibly unhealthy, yet delicious breakfast. Unfortunately, at that moment, her own stomach made its presence known. Lee stopped eating and smiled as her face turned a bright red once the growling stopped. She could tell that, had he been able to, he would be laughing right now. "Do you mind sharing some?" she asked with a smirk. He nodded and generously pushed the bowl toward her.

An idea made its way into her mind. But it wasn't something she could just outright ask him. So instead, she merely shut her eyes and opened her mouth, hoping he would get the idea. He looked down at the bowl, and back up at Sakura several times before finally realizing that she wanted him to feed her.

Slowly and still feeling a little unsure, he lifted a spoonful of vanilla, and gently placed it in her mouth. She allowed it to melt on her tongue in order to savor the taste. It had been quite a while since she had eaten anything so sweet. Finally, she smiled, and opened her eyes to see Lee still holding onto the spoon, blushing about twenty shades of red. She giggled, trying to etch that expression into her memory forever. If only she had a camera.

"My turn." She said giddily, taking the spoon from his hand. He was completely speechless, not that he could talk anyway. It took him a moment to realize that he still hadn't lowered his hand. He allowed it to fall limply to his side, not taking his eyes off of Sakura. She lifted a mixture of strawberry and vanilla and held it up in front of them.

"Open wide." She chimed. It took him a second to process her words, just before finally complying. But as they continue to take turns feeding each other, he couldn't help but wonder.

Why was she doing this?

Why did she sleep here with him last night?

And who the hell was this guy she liked?!

"Hey Lee, you have a little ice cream on your lip." Said Sakura with a smile. Lee blushed and nervously raised his hand. She stopped it just before he could reach his chin. For a moment, he stared at her in confusion. "I'll get it." He watched as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

'Oh my god! What do I do! She is kissing me! But I thought she liked someone else. Who cares! Wait! Should I be kissing back!? I do not know how! I have never done this before! What would Gai sensei do?'

'He always told me to trust my instincts.' Thought Lee. 'So that's what I will do.'

Sakura was growing concerned with the lack of reaction. But before she was able to pull away, Lee wrapped his arms around her back. He allowed his tongue to slip out of his mouth, gently glide across her lips. She complied with his silent request, and opened her mouth, battling his tongue with her own. It felt weird, but strangely right. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, and the heat from his cheeks on hers. Although it felt good –very good actually – it was also incredibly awkward. They separated after some time, panting for air, looking into each other's eyes.

"Practice makes perfect, right?" She said with a smirk, after taking a moment to regain her breath. Lee beamed, and nodded fervently in agreement. She placed the tray atop the nightstand so it would be out of the way, and lay down beside him on the bed, pulling him with her and snuggling close to his chest. They connected once again, but this time, with much less hesitancy. It lasted longer, until their need for air became too great. She giggled breathlessly, as they broke apart, causing a smile to spread across Lee's blushing cheeks.

"Hey Lee?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to continue. "Do you remember that offer you made me just before the chuunin exams?" he thought about it for a moment, before the memories came flooding back. He reached across the bed to his pad and pencil.

Will you be my girlfriend? He scribbled quickly, his hand shaking with uncertainty. Sakura smiled, and wrapped her arms tightly around his back.

"Yes."

That single word left Lee overwhelming with bliss, and had he been standing, you could pretty much guarantee he would have been jumping for joy. They sat together for the next few minutes, comfortably tangled in each other's arms.

"You know what?" she asked, breaking the silence. Lee mouthed the word 'what?' nearly forgetting that he couldn't speak. "I need a shower. My shift starts soon." Lee frowned and held her tighter. He didn't want her to leave yet.

She giggled, and tried to wriggle her way out of his arms. "I'm sorry, Lee. I can't help it. I do have a job, you know." Lee shook his head, and pulled her against him again. "Alright. I have an idea. I'll go downstairs and get a clean uniform from one of the machines, and then I'll come back up here and use your shower, okay? That way I won't be gone for too long." Lee pouted and nodded sadly, loosening his grip on her just a little bit. She crawled out of his embrace, and kissed him on the cheek, just before walking slowly to the door. Lee sighed as she shut it behind her.

**ME: Fluff **

…

**hmm…writers block. Yeah…I'll try to make the next one more interesting. **

**Key word: try.**

**But, I have so much homework! Why Mrs. D!? Why, oh lord, why did I get put in her class??**


	4. Chapter 4

4

4

ME: Sorry this took so long. Lot of stuff happening right now.

My mom keeps wondering why I'm blushing / Nothing too bad in this chapter. I would never write anything that would be labeled as mature content, so nothing will go beyond this. I don't think I would be able to. Don't yell at me!

The water pounded the knots from her stiffened muscles, relaxing them with its touch. The steam caressed her cheeks, leaving them with a slight pink hue. She closed her eyes while allowing her hands to guide the soap across her skin. Meanwhile, Lee sat impatiently on his bed, that very scene playing repetitively in his minds eye. He tried to think of other things. He really, truly did. But it just wasn't working. He attempted to will away a familiar heat that was pooling in the pit of his stomach. The door to the bathroom swung open, and cloud of steam rolled out against the ceiling. Lee gasped and pulled the covers over his lap.

Sakura stepped out, holding a towel up with one hand across her chest. Her hair dripped every so often, leaving a small trail of water down her back, just before being absorbed into the fabric. Lee trailed her every feature with his eyes. Any attempt to look away was in vain. Virtually useless. Alas, his troubled situation was made worse, and Sakura was completely oblivious to the fact. Such bittersweet moments as these could kill a man.

"I forgot to take this in with me." She said, lifting her nurses' outfit from the chair. She looked up to see Lee staring at her intently, mouth slightly agape. She raised an eyebrow, just before noticing a bulge from beneath Lee's blanket. She smiled, her cheeks turning a light shade of rose, and actually, almost felt like laughing at his unfortunate situation. If you think about it, it was rather flattering. And unbelievably funny. She turned and walked back into the bathroom without a word.

It took a minute for him to snap out of his entranced state. He blinked several times, his eyes stinging from beneath their lids. He could feel the blood pouring into his cheeks as he slowly crawled back to reality. He flopped back onto his pillow with a silent groan, pulling the covers over his head to block out the rest of the world.

That's what Sakura saw when she emerged from the bathroom for the second time; this time fully clothed (thankfully). Her moist hair was tied back into a ponytail in order to keep her shirt dry. She smirked, and silently approached the bed, hoping he didn't already detect her presence.

She tugged back the covers in one quick swipe, causing him to gasp in surprise, and his previously forced down flush to return tenfold. She laughed.

"You're cute when you blush." She whispered into his ear.

With that diminutive statement, his cheeks darkened even more. She bent down, and placed a chaste, loving kiss on his lips. "I'll be back to check on you later." And then, she left. Lee leapt to his feet and rushed to the bathroom for a nice cold shower.

0/0

Gai, Tenten, and Neji neared the hospital together. Gai held his head high; with his usual self assured grin. Tenten and Neji trailed behind, side by side. The front doors of the hospital burst open with a wave of energy as Gai made his melodramatic entrance. Many of the nurses were used to this by now, so they completely ignored him, regarding it as just another milieu sound amongst others. However, one of the newer doctors that had just started working there, unfortunately for him, accidentally threw a pile of charts into the air, very nearly having a heart attack. He bent over and began picking up his things, grumbling death threats under his breath, to which of course, Gai remained oblivious. That's what yah get for taking a job in Konoha, buddy! Get used to it!

"Hello everyone! I have come to visit my beloved pupil! Does anyone know what room he's in?" he asked loudly. Sakura rounded the corner, hearing Gai's voice from several doors down, and smiled as sweetly as possible.

"Hello Gai sensei, Neji, Tenten." She greeted, expertly dodging the man that was still trying to collect his papers, and heading in their direction.

"Ah, Sakura! Do you know which room Lee is staying in by any chance? We have come to lighten his spirits!" asked Gai.

'HAH! Already did that, thank you very much!' shouted her inner self, momentarily emerging from the dark recesses of Sakura's mind.

"It just so happens that I do." She said, ignoring her thoughts. "Though there is something I must warn you about as we go."

"What do you mean?" asked Tenten.

"Follow me." She said, turning in the opposite direction. The others did as she said, and followed close behind, eagerly awaiting what ever it was she was going to tell them. "Lee's sore throat turned out to be tonsillitis. Unfortunately, something went wrong during the surgery. It's nothing serious, and absolutely nothing to panic about." She said, glancing at Gai in particular. "But, he's not going to be able to speak for a while." Tenten nodded slowly, her eyes filling with motherly worry.

"How long will it be before he can speak again?"

"He'll probably be able to talk again by tomorrow morning. Like I said, nothing major."

"Here we are." Said Sakura. "Just let me go in and make sure he's ready for visitors." She waved them back and slipping through the door, leaving Gai, Neji, and Tenten just outside. Turning around, she was surprised to find that his bed was empty. The first thing that came to mind was the possibility of his escaping to go train. It's the most probable answer. But then again, why would he do that if she already promised to take him later?

Examining her surroundings, she turned to the bathroom door, finding it slightly ajar. And as quietly as possible, she peaked inside.

Bad idea.

Lee was completely naked, and his body was still wet from the shower. He reached out for a towel. But before his hand could grasp the cloth, his eyes caught the sight of Sakura staring at him from the doorway. He gasped and snatched the towel, holding it in front of his manhood. How long has she been there?!

All was silent for one long moment, as Sakura continued to stare. Lee made a week whining sound in the back of his throat, snapping her back to reality.

'Take him now!' Inner Sakura drooled.

"Oh my god, Lee. I am so sorry! I should have knocked! Please forgive me. I just didn't see you in bed, and so it thought, you know, maybe you left or something, but than I saw the door open a bit, and the light was on and all, so I kind of just looked to see if you were there, and you were, but you were nude so-" She rambled. Lee nodded weakly in understanding so she would stop, and sheepishly pointed to his nose. Sakura followed the gesture and raised an eyebrow, bringing her own finger up just above her lip, and lowering her hand when she felt something wet. "Ah!" she leapt forward and snatched a piece of toilet paper to plug her nostril to stop the flow of blood.

"Um…I- uh…Gai, Tenten, and Neji are here to visit you." she said after a rapid search for words, trying to take the attention away from herself. Lee visibly brightened at the sound of his mentors' name, and clenched his hands into eager fists.

Sadly, or not so sadly, that caused him to drop his towel. Sakura gasped and immediately spun around. Lee blushed again, and reached down to pick it up. "I'll…um… stay in here until you're finished changing." He nodded, and slipped around her as carefully as he could, back into the other room.

As she stood there, waiting for any sign that it was safe to come out, she managed to stop her nosebleed. Her mind raced with a torrent of thoughts, most of which involved the severe embarrassment from that little incident a few seconds ago. She figured it would be best to avoid bringing that up ever again. Is that how Lee felt earlier? God, now she felt guilty.

But something else continued to invade her mind; a random idea that just kept harassing her. Sort of like Naruto.

She smiled, choosing to pretend that nothing had ever happened, as Lee re-entered the bathroom, wearing his normal hospital outfit, including a new robe that Gai sensei had bought him during his last stay, as he had long since out-grown his other. She swallowed, and decided to just come out with it.

"Hey, Lee." He nodded. "I know this is kind of weird, but could you…not tell anyone about us getting together just yet?" she asked. Lee blinked owlishly, and looked very much like he just got the wind knocked out of him.

'Is she ashamed of me?' he thought.

She noticed his distant, sadden expression, and felt the instant need to explain herself.

"Only for a little while, Lee. I just want to see how long we can keep it a secret! It could serve as a test of our ability to be… inconspicuous." She said, attempting to convince him. Honestly, she just thought it would be exciting. Things had gotten repetitive at the hospital. Day in and day out, she comes in to treat patients, most of which had been injured in combat. Sometimes she would break for the occasional mission. It was actually rather boring.

Lee didn't know how to feel at that moment. True, it would be an excellent test of his abilities to keep a secret, and he would be making his beloved Sakura happy. But what about Gai sensei? He never kept secrets from him. He is his mentor; his only father figure. He would feel as though he were doing Gai a dishonor. And besides that fact, he still couldn't help but feel that she was merely embarrassed to be with him.

Sakura must have been reading his mind, because within a second, she had draped her arms around his hips, and leaned lovingly against his upper body.

"We don't have to if you don't feel right about it." She said, resting her chin on his chest so she could see him. He searched her eyes for any sign of regret or lament. But, there was none. He untangled himself from her arms, and walked back towards his bed, scribbling something onto the paper she had given him earlier.

As long as I can tell Gai sensei.

She squealed in delight, and stood on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. "I can handle that." She said, pausing for a moment afterward.

And now that that was taken care of, there was something else. She had wanted to say this for quite a while now, and this was as good a time as any. She breathed deeply and buried her face in the material of his robe. She focused mainly on its simple scent to clear her mind.

"I…love you, Lee."

And that was it. While those muffled words hung thickly in the air, he grinned from ear to ear, feeling a certain warmth flow through his entire being. Best day ever! Hands down!

'She loves me! She loves me! She loves me! She loves me! She loves me, Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast!! I did it Gai sensei! I have finally one Sakura's heart! YEEES!'

Ahem.

She had never truly said that to him before. And now that he took that time to celebrate –internally- he was able to step back and truly admire his love. He smiled and leaned down to her level, pressing his forehead against hers in a silent expression of his eternal affection. She couldn't help but smile back.

Unfortunately, an impatient knock at the door interrupted the moment. Lee sprung back in surprise.

"Oh my God! I almost completely forgot they were waiting!" gasped Sakura.

'I'm surprised he hasn't already broken the door down!' she thought, rushing to grant them entrance. The door swung open before she could even cross the room. Gai seemed concerned, as his eyes repetitively darted from her to Lee.

"Ah, I'm sorry about that." She said sheepishly. "I had to… discuss something with him first." Gai immediately relaxed. His shoulders slumped with one deep breath of relief.

"Is that all? I was getting so worried!" cried Gai dramatically. Lee smiled widely, and ran to stand just before his sensei, bouncing on his toes in pure excitement. Being nineteen, he was now just barley under two inches shorter than him. Gai beamed.

"Lee! Aren't you glad we convinced you to come here?" he said, placing a large, calloused hand on the boys shoulder. Lee nodded zealously, and waved in greeting as Tenten and Neji finally came into view from behind.

"I'll be going now. I have to get back to work. Bye everyone!" she said, waving. She made sure to send one last glance at Lee before shutting the door safely behind her. He locked eyes with her for that short second, and understood the meaning behind it. It was almost like saying an extra goodbye to him specifically. Luckily, no one else seemed to notice.

"So, Lee, we heard that you couldn't talk." Said Tenten with a smirk. Lee raised a bushy eyebrow, slightly confused as to why her auburn eyes held a twinkle of malice. Something about that look frightened him, as memories began flooding back from his genin days. Days filled with those exact same stares, filled with mystery and evil.

Pure, pure evil.

She smiled as a small shudder escaped from the depths of his soul. She loved having that power over him. There were no plans to actually torture him however, but she did feel the need to watch that familiar fear pass behind his large eyes. Just to make sure it was still there. Because…she could sense something here.

Her and Lee always shared a certain connection. She was a teammate, a friend, maybe even family. For a time, she even had a little crush on him.

She could always tell when something was up. Just like he could with her. And right now, she that feeling was there. Something big happened.

But what?

She scanned the room, and allowed her gaze to fix on the empty bowl of ice cream that still remained on his bandstand. Almost immediately, her motherly sense sprung to the surface, all suspicion forgotten. "I see you had a very healthy breakfast this morning (sarcasm). You know how I feel about having sweets this early in the morning. Didn't I tell you that after the Twizzler incident?" She said, her voice harboring just a touch of reproach. Lee grinned sheepishly, his eyes glazing over with remembrance. There was a lot of clean up after that. But ohhh were they good.

**Mental note: buy more Twizzlers.**

Gai poked Lee in the arm, quickly bringing him back to reality.

"Lee, my student, you seemed to just drift off there for a second. Is everything alright?" he asked worriedly. Tenten wasn't the only one who noticed the change in his persona. It was slight, but it was most definitely there.

Something was just a bit off about him. He seemed a little too happy right now. Even with them there to visit, he has never before been so comfortable with staying in a hospital.

A wide smile spread onto Lee's face, all the while, he nodded in silent reassurance. With extra enthusiasm, he ran to his bedside and lifted the notepad and pencil.

Neji raised an eyebrow as he ferociously scribbled onto the paper, stopping just seconds later, and looking over the pad directly at him and Tenten. He crossed something out, and tapped the eraser to his chin in thought. If he wrote it down, Tenten and Neji would be able to read the note. So how could he tell Gai sensei without them hearing?

His features visibly brightened. If you tilted your head to the left and squinted really hard, you would almost be able to make out the light bulb that appeared above his head. Lee placed the pointed tip of the pencil against the pad, and repeated that process again and again, making audible clinking noises as he did so. Tenten furrowed her brows in confusion.

Tap-tap-tap-tap. Pause. Tap-tap. Pause.

It continued like that for a while. Gai, who had long since caught on to Lee's intentions, was mentally decoding the message. Within seconds, a waterfall of tears began pouring from his eyes, as he raised a fist to his chest.

"Oh, Lee! I am so proud of you! I knew it would happen some day! And do not worry, my adorable student, I will not tell a soul! Not even Kakashi!" shouted Gai. Tenten found herself wishing that she had bothered to learn Morse code when her sensei was teaching Lee.

Whatever. She would pry whatever information it was from Lee soon enough. She always did. (Insert maniacal laughter here)

"What a youthful occasion! You are growing up so fast! Why, I remember when you were no taller than my waist, and now-"

Neji, however, had been tuning out the whole scene long ago, feeling no need to watch another spectacle of overemotional speeches and manly hugging. Which is exactly what happened next. Honestly, who wasn't expecting that?

/-/-/

**ME: So, how long will it take before people start finding out? Who knows? Not me!**

…**cuz I still don't know what to write next…**

**But! I refuse to give up! And just so you know, there will probably be a lot less… awkward moments. My mom is getting suspicious about all my blushing when I'm on the computer. She doesn't even know I watch Naruto, let alone write fanfiction! I told her I was doing homework. She might not believe that for very long. **


	5. Chapter 5

5

"Alright! Get better soon, Lee!" called Tenten, leaving his room and shutting the door behind her. Gai had asked for a moment alone with Lee in order to speak with him, causing Lee to turn deathly pale. For what reason, neither Neji nor Tenten knew, but they weren't planning on sticking around to find out. "Come on, Neji. We have some investigating to do." She turned, snatching his hand with her own and dragging him down the hospital hallway. He used the heel of his shoes to skid to a halt, inadvertently forcing her to stop with him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and staring at him intently.

"About what, Tenten? What are you talking about?" he asked, mentally preparing himself for whatever she had planned, which he _knew_ he would be forced into. She looked down and shook her head in disappointment.

"I can't believe that you, a Hyuuga with the all seeing Byakugan eye, doesn't know what I'm talking about."

Neji sighed in irritation. "_What_ Tenten?"

"You didn't notice how strange Lee was acting?" she asked. Neji stared at her. Of course, their green-clad teammate was always a bit unusual, but he had to admit, something was a bit different today. "He kept drifting off with that weird smile. And not to mention all that stuff with Gai sensei." She added. "What was with them today? After Lee told him something in morse code earlier, he went all 'I'm so proud of my boy!' on him!" And aren't you curious about what they could be talking about in there now? I mean, as soon as sensei told him they needed to speak alone about…_something_… all the color drained from Lee's face! And then there's-"

"Tenten!" Neji interrupted her, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Why did he put up with her again? "I get it, Tenten. What's your point?"

"I think it might have something to do with Sakura." She whispered. Neji raised an eyebrow. "When she went into his room before, she was in there for quite a while, don't you think?"

"She said that she had to discuss something with him."

"Yeah, but when she was about to leave, I saw her look back at Lee." She whispered, as if someone might be listening in.

"So?"

"So!? It obviously meant something!" she said angrily. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the smart one? "Something is up here, and we're going to figure out what." Neji closed his eyes and released a large breath of air.

"Look, Tenten, if Lee isn't telling us something then he obviously has a reason for it. We should-"

"No, Neji. Think! This is Lee we're talking about. I don't care how much you deny it, Neji, but I know you're probably just as interested in this as I am." She told him. He stared at her, his face an emotionless mask. Deep down. Deep, _deep_ down, he knew she was right. He _did_ want to find out what was going on. If only just a little bit. Though, unlike her, Neji had self-control, and he respected Lees' privacy.

'I don't think-" She glared at him, and his words caught dead in his throat. It didn't matter that she didn't possess the Byakugan. He could feel her eyes looking right through him.

"Fine." Groaned Neji. "What should we do?" She smiled in success.

"We're going to go find help."

/-/-/

1:00 p.m.

Two hours since Neji, and Tenten left.

One hour since Gai took off, after a long, much more explicit version of _'the talk' _than he was given in the academy. -Shudder-. Not that he didn't know about most of that stuff already, but still. No matter how much he respects Gai sensei, no matter how much he appreciates his wisdom, nobody ever wants to hear about….that.

Forty-five minutes since Sakura last came in to check on him.

And eight minutes since that bird landed on his windowsill.

Lee did not like that bird. It was taunting him. He could tell.

If birds could talk, that one would be saying something along the lines of, 'I'm out here, and you're in there! Ha Ha! I can do whatever I want, and you can't! Pathetic human!'

Because that particular pigeon was unusually cruel. Repetitively tapping its small beak against the glass. And what was so strange was, normally, animals liked Lee. Especially squirrels. But that's not the point. The point is: Lee hated that bird. Luckily, before he could leap from his bed to slaughter the thing, the door swung open. Sakura stepped in and slowly approached his bed, successfully stealing his attention away from the window. And the evil death pigeon.

"Okay Lee, we have one hour." She said with a small smile. He beamed. Finally! He could train! "But remember the rule. You are not to overexert yourself. And once the hour is up, we will leave." He nodded, and swung his legs over the side of the bed, slipping his feet into the sandals that he had purposely left there for this precise moment. He kept his pajamas on, leaving his robe hanging messily over the back of the chair, and followed her to the door. He turned his head at the last minute, and stuck his tongue out at the pigeon, leaving the room with an inaudible snicker. Said bird tilted its head, and flew away to find another victim.

"I wasn't able to convince the staff to let me take you for a walk because it's against hospital policy. But, all of the nurses at the front desk went out for a lunch break, so we should be able to go right through without any problems, as long as we're back before they are. So technically, that leaves us with only about 45 minutes at the training grounds." Lee nodded, a bit sadly. That wasn't very much time. Maybe he could get in a few pushups later on tonight once-

"_No_ Lee. After all these years, I know that look. Pretty much every person that works here does. You're thinking about training tonight, aren't you? She stopped, her glare unwavering. Lee wilted under her gaze, sheepishly scratching the top of his head.

"Lee, promise me you won't train while you're in the hospital."

"mmnn" he whimpered. It was supposed to be words of protest, but not being able to actually speak made it a bit difficult. Sakura got the idea though.

"Promise me or I'll take you back to your room right now and feed you granola bars." Lee blanched, and immediately nodded, making a cross motion over his chest in promise. Sakura grinned at her latest victory.

"Great! Now, let's get to the training grounds before we waist anymore time, shall we?"

/-/-/

"Hinata! Naruto!"

"Ah. Hello Tenten." Said Hinata quietly, lowering her chopsticks. Naruto slurped up a few more noodles, wiped the broth from his chin with the back of his hand, and turned to Tenten and Neji with a grin.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

"May we join you?" she asked, sitting beside Hinata, and lightly nudging Neji toward the empty stool on the others side of Naruto.

"I'd like to ask you two a few questions."


	6. Chapter 6

"Ouch

6

"Ouch! Naruto, you're on my foot!"

"Well what do you want me to do!? If I move then I'll have thorns sticking into my side! Why the hell do we have to stay crouched into this stupid bush anyway?"

"N-naruto."

"This was _your_ idea!"

"…oh yeah"

"Would you two _please_ shut up?"

"Shh! They're coming!"

Neji rolled his eyes, not at all pleased at having been silenced. Added to the fact that his legs were falling asleep, and that he was being forcefully squished between the branches of this _accursed_ bush, and Tenten, who was currently peaking through the leaves.

At the other end, trying exceptionally hard to take up as little space as possible, Hinata crouched, bent at the knee and balanced on her toes, blushing madly whenever Naruto brushed against her shoulder. She hardly seemed interested in anything beside the blonde. Had he not grabbed her hand when they left the ramen stand, Neji figured, she probably wouldn't have come. He had gotten so wound up when Tenten started questioning him, becoming, if possible, even more curious than she was.

"You're around Sakura a lot, right?"

"_Yeah, we train together all the time. Why?" He replied, slurping up yet another string of noodles. Tenten wiped the few stray drops of broth from her check and continued. _

"_Has she been acting strange at all?"_

"_Huh?" _

" _Like, um, does she act differently when a particular persons name is brought up in conversation? Someone like, oh, I don't know, Lee maybe." Naruto's eyes narrowed in suspicion, now giving her his full attention._

"_What the hell are you talking about?" _

"_Alright look," she started with a breath, "I think something's going on between Lee and Sakura beca-"_

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Naruto waved his hands a few times to cut her off. "What are you saying exactly?" _

"_I think there might be something between them, so-" Naruto cut her off…again._

"_No way! Sakura and Bushy Brows!?" He shouted incredulously. "That just doesn't fit!" Tenten gave him a look for interrupting her. _

"_Well, I'm not sure yet! That's why I was asking __you__!"_

"_No, no, no, no, __no__. That's just impossible, right Hinata?" Surprised at having been addressed at all, she stuttered a few times, unable to form a coherent sentence. Naruto turned back to face Tenten, nodding with an air of conviction about him. "See, Hinata agrees! There's just no way-"_

"_LOOK!" Tenten yelled, becoming entirely fed up with his constant disagreement. "I don't know __what's__ going on, okay? I just wanted to get some answers. I'm just going by what I __saw__." Naruto went taut. _

"_Wait… you saw them? Like… together?" _

"_Sort of." She said, regarding him thoughtfully. He sounded almost hurt. _

_Just out of Naruto's line of sight, Hinata silently turned away to stare at the counter. _

_She had only come to this place because she wanted a meal. Then Naruto showed up and sat down next to her. HER! They had even started a conversation! And with minimal stuttering! Granted, it was about training, but still, any discussion with Naruto is valued. And now she had to sit here and listen to this, as his heart is slowly torn in two. _

_Though she hated to admit it to herself, she could hear it in his voice. The disappointment. Naruto was still very much in love with Sakura. And anything that hurts Naruto, affects her as well. _

"_It's just a hunch, but I really want to find out." Tenten confessed. Naruto seemed to brighten a great deal at that. _

"_So then, they might __not__ be together? But then, wait, I'm confused…what exactly did you see?" Tenten sighed, having to explain everything, in detail. Naruto hummed and nodded attentively the whole time, eyes squinted in obvious concentration. Hinata curled her hands into loose fists. From what she could tell, it did sound as if-_

"_Oh, now I see! So something sneaky is going on here!" he mused, rubbing his whiskers in thought. Tenten repressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I still don't believe it's possible that Sakura and Fuzzy Brows are dating or anything, but that __is__ suspicious! We have to figure out what's going on!" _

_Hinata felt as though she were beginning to sink. If she was correct in her assumption, then Naruto was going to be crushed. Though for a split second, she almost wished for it to be true. And that was what was killing her the most. _

"_Let's go find out then!" He stood up, eagerness undulating from his form like waves. Tenten smiled, having finally gotten somewhere with this. "Come on Hinata! Let's go to the hospital and find them! We've got some work to do!" _

_All thoughts vanished from her mind when he grabbed her hand, a dark blush coloring her cheeks. He didn't seem to notice though, as made a mad dash for the hospital, dragging her behind. _

"_Hey wait! Naruto slow down!" Tenten raced off behind him._

They had reached the hospital soon after, finding that both Lee and Sakura were nowhere to be found. In a moment of conviction, not wanting Naruto to be saddened, Hinata shakily pointed out the window to where she had spotted the two of them walking down a path. And of course, getting entirely engrossed in the situation, Naruto had excitedly leapt out the window, hauling all three of them along, and fervently suggested that they hide in a bush up the road. Hence their current position.

And why exactly was Neji with them? AGAIN!? Not even he knew anymore. He sighed.

Tenten nudged him lightly so he would keep quiet, and peaked out once more to see what was happening. Just a few feet away, Lee and Sakura were walking abreast.

Sakura was waving her hands animatedly as she spoke. Lee, arms wrapped firmly behind his back, nodded for her to continue, obviously enthralled in whatever it was she was saying. His eyes never left her face. Not once. The complete adoration that radiated from his very being was obvious, yet not unexpected. It was no secret; after all, that he loved her. But, they did seem…unusually close.

Neji watched as Tenten repetitively clenched and unclenched her fist as adrenaline pumped through her veins; the other hand slowly tightening its grip on the branch she was holding.

What was going on here?

Beside her, Naruto poked his head out a bit farther. Nothing appeared to be particularly abnormal to him. They were just going for a walk, right? What was so weird about that?

His heart nearly stopped when Sakura grabbed his hand.

ME: Please allow me to apologize for this pathetic, and late, attempt at a chapter. I've just been so overwhelmed with homework and junk. Plus, I had the flu for the past couple of weeks.  Anyhow, I know it's rushed, and unusually short, but please, don't hate me!!! I WILL TRY HARDER!


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